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Survive This

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Survive This
GenreReality television
Created byLes Stroud
StarringLes Stroud
Narrated byLes Stroud
Country of origin Canada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Running time22 minutes[1]
Production company9 Story Entertainment
Original release
NetworkYTV
ReleaseApril 7, 2009 (2009-04-07) –
August 17

Survive This is a Canadian reality TV show on which eight teenagers with limited survival skills training are taken into a forest and confronted with a number of survival challenges to test their skills and perseverance.[2] The series airs on YTV in Canada and Cartoon Network in the United States.[3][4][5] The show is hosted by Les Stroud, who narrates each episode, provides the teens with survival challenges, and assesses their performance.[2][3][6] The show premiered on April 7, 2009, in Canada and on June 17, 2009, in the United States.[2][6][7][8][9] Cartoon Network ceased to air Survive This after August 19, 2009, and screened the final three episodes only on the network's Web site.

Overview

Eight teenagers, all between the ages of 14 and 17,[2][10][11][12] were taken into a forest in Ontario, Canada, and initially asked to "survive" a school bus crash and spend two nights in the woods with limited food and other supplies.[2][7][9][10][12][13][14]

The series began with a single season of 13 episodes.[6][9][10][13] Les Stroud, star and host of the television program Survivorman, introduces each episode and provides narrative commentary for the events depicted during the episode. Stroud also appears on camera at the beginning of each episode to meet with the participants, discuss their health and emotional status, and present them with the day's survival challenge.[10][11][13][14][15] Stroud then departs. Stroud sometimes appears at halfway points in each episode to check on their status.[citation needed] Each challenge concludes with Stroud visiting the participants again, re-assessing their physical and emotional state, and asking whether anyone wishes to leave the show and go home.[6][10][11][14]

Season One production

Series production

Series creator Les Stroud says that he initially pitched Survivorman as a children's series similar to Survive This, and that several networks turned him down.[6][9] The success of Survivorman enabled Stroud to pitch his original idea again, and this time the series was greenlighted in 2007 by 9 Story Entertainment, a Canadian entertainment company.[9][16] Survive This is produced by 9 Story Entertainment, and two 9 Story executives (Vince Commisso and Steven Jarosz) serve as executive producers for the series.[17] Les Stroud and his Survivorman production partner, David Brady, are also executive producers.[17] Craig Baines is the producer.[17]

The series was originally titled Survivorman: Kids Edition.[16] The original concept was to create two teams of teens (age 13 to 17) and pit them against one another, testing their survivalist skills.[16] This concept soon changed, however. In April 2008, 9 Story announced that the show (now called Survivorman Kids) would feature a single team of six 14- to 16 year-olds surviving in the wilderness for three weeks.[18] The number of participants expanded to eight by the time filming began in summer 2008.[19] In its final form, unlike other reality television shows, Survive This intentionally did not have a cash prize or other reward at the end of the season. Instead, the producers decided that contestants would leave the series with the knowledge that they survived a number of physically and mentally daunting challenges.[2][6][10][11][13][20] Stroud refused to allow participants to vote their peers off the show or to win "immunity", arguing that this would change the focus of the series toward "backstabbing social networking" and away from survival skills and the wilderness experience.[6][14][20][21]

Cast members were recruited in a variety of ways: Online, via forms at summer camps, and by several other means.[14] After each person's application was screened by the producers, participants had to pass a telephone interview and a video interview before they were chosen for the show.[14] Stroud was not involved in the actual selection process, but did provide some guidelines for the production company before the process began.[6]

All I suggested within that process was get a good, wide selection of kids. Let’s get a wide selection of personalities and temperaments and certainly skill level. Don’t give me a whole bunch of boy scouts who are going to knock it dead out there and don’t give me a whole bunch of absolute beginners who are setup for failure. Give me a wide variety, let’s have regular, normal kids and don’t profile beyond that.[6]

Once selected for the show, a camera crew filmed each teenager at home to get footage of them acting naturally in their home surroundings.[14] The eight teenagers were taught for a week how to survive in a wilderness with limited supplies.[6][7][13][14] They were also constantly filmed during this time, to acclimate them to the ever-present cameras and filmmakers.[14]

Season One production

The series was filmed on location in the forest north of Huntsville, Ontario, Canada.[13] Filming occurred in the summer of 2008.[13] Three days were spent on a small island northwest of Sandy Island on Georgian Bay in Lake Huron.[22] Jeff Beitz, owner of the Georgian Bay Marina, acted as a location scout for the show, transported the participants to and from the island, and appeared on screen in Episode 11, "Island Castaways."[22] Many of the challenges presented to the participants were based on situations Stroud himself faced on Survivorman.[20]

A camera crew remained behind to film the participants as they carried out their survival challenges, some of which lasted several days.[10][20] However, the camera crew was instructed not to interact with the participants.[20] Several participants were also given hand-held video cameras and permitted to film their actions.[2][20] A paramedic also was always on-site to provide emergency health care.[20] Participants were forbidden to have any electronic devices with them, and could only speak to the producer or Stroud (who were both on-site).[14] Stroud says that the participants constantly played to the camera, positioned themselves at the right camera angle to achieve the best pose, and—even though they were forbidden to do so—talked to the cinematographers to try to put themselves in a good light.[14][20] Several of the participants were upset at the way their videotaped comments appeared on television.[20][21] Some also expressed shock and surprise at the things others said about them in privately videotaped moments which later aired during the series.[14] For his part, Stroud purposefully adopted a serious demeanor that involved never smiling in front of the participants.[6] He later told TV Guide Canada that not providing suggestions, encouragement, or other assistance was difficult for him.[6]

The participants were given little in the way of supplies. They had no camp stoves or sleeping bags, and at times water was so scarce that they squeezed liquid from moss.[20]

A one-hour Season One finale featured a search and rescue (SAR) operation to locate and extract the remaining participants.[20][23] The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Georgian Bay Volunteer Search and Rescue (GBVSAR) participated in the filming of the final episode, which involved a GBVSAR search team and the OPP's K9, marine, and air units.[23] Filming of the finale took a single day.[23]

The final scenes were shot at the end of the summer of 2008.[13] Some footage and a trailer for the show were shown at MIPCOM, a market and trade event in the entertainment industry held in Cannes, France.[19] The first two completed episodes screened to buyers and markets at the MIPTV Media Market in March 2009.[24] Corus Entertainment's YTV picked up the show for broadcast in Canada in April 2008.[18][21] Time Warner's Cartoon Network agreed to air the show in the U.S. in March 2009.[25] The first season ended with a one-hour finale.[20] 9 Story Entertainment sold distribution rights to Cartoon Network's Boomerang Channel Latin America, YLE in Finland, and Teleview International in the Middle East in April 2009.[26]

Producer 9 Story Entertainment began to license the show in May 2009, seeking to put the Survive This logo and images from the show on board games, books, video games, role-playing games, and clothing.[1]

Season Two production

A second season is planned. Casting opened on June 5, 2009, and closed on July 10, 2009.[27]

Participants

Season One participants

In the first series, eight teenagers were given a week's survival training before being taken into the wilderness. The Season One cast included:

  • Adam—Adam Deganis is a 15-year-old native of Mississauga, Ontario, who attends Loyola Catholic Secondary School.[9][13][22] Labeled as "the sportsman" on the series, his survival experiences consisted of hunting, fishing, and spending summers at his family vacation home.[9][13] A fan of Survivorman, he applied to be on the series because he wanted to meet Les Stroud.[9] Deganis is an arachnophobe.[11]
  • Becca—Becca Mehaffey is a 17-year-old from Markham, Ontario, who has almost no outdoors experience.[9][20][21] Her friends and family laughed at her when she applied to be on the show.[9] She was called "the princess" on the show, and practices dance in her spare time.[11][20]
  • Becky—Becky Tran is a 17-year-old from Newmarket, Ontario, who was labeled "the environmentalist" on the series, but whom the other participants called "BT."[9][11][12] Tran, who is admittedly "addicted" to her hair iron, was frightened of dirt, germs, and insects.[12]
  • Catarina—Catarina is a 17-year-old who was described as "the tough girl" on the series.[11]
  • Holden—Holden Adams is a 16-year-old who was called "the city boy" on the show.[11][20] After the show ended, he admitted that lack of sleep, hunger, and physical exhaustion often led him to rest while others did the work of finding food and building shelter.[20]
  • Jen—Jennifer Daub is a 16-year-old resident of Blind River, Ontario.[20][22][28] She attends W. C. Eaket Secondary School.[14] She was labeled "the hunter" on the series because she had spent time tracking and hunting deer with her father, and was an expert rifleman,[11][14][20] all-terrain vehicle driver, and camper.[14][28] One of her older brothers learned about the show and encouraged her to apply.[14] She applied online by sending in a photo of herself with a deer she had shot and killed.[14] She was often frustrated on the show by having to help other participants who had little outdoors experience.[14][28]
  • Kareem—Kareem Ali is a 17-year-old native of Toronto, Canada.[22] Given the label of "the movtivator" by the producers, he was seen as more competitive than the others.[11] He attends Bloor Collegiate Institute.
  • Zac—Zac Siegel is a 14-year-old resident of Thornhill, Ontario, who attends Westmount Collegiate Institute.[10][22] He applied to be on the show through a survival camp he was already enrolled at.[10] He had extensive wilderness survival skills before he joined the show, has a photographic memory, and a high-level intelligence.[10] He was extremely frustrated on the show because the other participants had so little wilderness survival skill. "In many cases I had to teach people to start a fire or build a proper shelter, collect berries, basically I spent a lot of time with those who didn't have a clue what Les was talking about," he told the press.[10] Labeled as "the camp counselor" by the producers, the other participants saw him as an overachiever.[11]

Critical reception

Season One critical reception

At least one psychologist warned that Survive This risked being exploitative and might damage the mental health of the participants. "You're putting kids into real emotional situations for other people's enjoyment," said Jennifer Kolari, a child and family therapist and author. "It's okay to have some competition, it's okay to try out for things," she says. "Those are okay lessons for kids. But doing it on national television, to be watched and judged, that's where I feel it's a little bit exploitive, and I think we need to consider the mental health of the kids that are on that show."[21] But other mental health experts declared the show safe, concluding that the participants merely displayed strong competitiveness and that social ostricization was largely avoided.[21]

Several reviewers have strongly criticized Survive This. For example, the New Bedford Standard-Times was dismissive of the show's lack of originality, noting: "...a gruff, gritty, macho mountain man takes a group of high-school kids and dumps them in the deep woods where they must learn to put aside their 'drama' and adapt. Gee, where haven't we seen that before?"[29] Variety was equally critical of the show's lack of originality, observing that the show "play[ed] like junior editions of somebody else's reality franchise.[15] The publication was also critical of the way the show pigeonholed and labeled each of the teenagers, eliminating the diversity of the racially and ethnically diverse cast.[15] The Los Angeles Times also concluded that the show was vapid, but that it had slightly more "depth" than other Cartoon Network live-action programs.[3]

Some critics have also blasted Cartoon Network for showing live-action programs rather than cartoons.[29]

The Sudbury Star, however, called the show "compelling".[11]

Season One ratings

Television ratings information on the show is difficult to come by. However, at least one newspaper said the show was not "catching on with viewers" on Cartoon Network, and that the show had never been among that network's top 10 series.[30]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "9 Story Launches A Licensing Campaign for Kids' Reality Series Survive This." Press release. 9Story.com. May 30, 2009. Accessed 2009-07-17.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Bentley, Rick. "Prize of 'Survive This' Is Survival." Fresno Bee. June 17, 2009.
  3. ^ a b c Lloyd, Robert. "Cartoon Network's New Reality Shows, Kid Style." Los Angeles Times. June 17, 2009.
  4. ^ "Cartoon Network: 'Our Voice Is Changing'." The Hollywood Reporter. March 25, 2009.
  5. ^ Shields, Mike. "Upfront '09: Cartoon Net Changes Its Voice." MediaWeek. March 25, 2009.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Jones, Nick. "'Survivorman' Mentors Teens." TV Guide Canada. April 6, 2009.
  7. ^ a b c "Survive This, Hosted By Real 'Survivorman' Les Stroud, Airs Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., Beginning April 7." Channel Canada. March 23, 2009.
  8. ^ Gillin, Joshua. "On TV Wednesday, June 17." St. Petersburg Times. June 16, 2009.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hill, Claire. "Survive This: Good News Kids – There Are Snakes Out There!" National Post. April 6, 2009.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k McLean, Adam. "Thornhill Student Looks to Survive on New Wilderness Reality Show." Thornhill Liberal. April 9, 2009.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Laken, Elayne. "Teens Test Their Wilderness Mettle in 'Survive This'." Sudbury Star. April 23, 2009.
  12. ^ a b c d Persico, Amanda. "Newmarket's Tran Gets Taste of Wild Life." Georgina Advocate. April 15, 2009.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kurek, Dominik. "Mississaugan Survives Reality Show." The Mississauga News. April 3, 2009.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Quesnel, Shannon. "Blind River Girl Survives Reality Television." Elliott Lake Standard. April 15, 2009.
  15. ^ a b c Lowry, Brian. "The Othersiders/Survive This." Variety. June 15, 2009.
  16. ^ a b c Rusak, Gary. "9 Story Eases Into Live-Action Waters With Survival Reality Concept." KidScreen. October 2007.
  17. ^ a b c "Survive This Fact Sheet." Turner Broadcasting. No date. Accessed 2009-07-17.
  18. ^ a b "9 Story Secures Commission for Its Live-Action Production Survivorman Kids From Canada's YTV." Press release. 9 Story Entertainment. April 1, 2008. Accessed 2009-07-17.
  19. ^ a b "Let the Expedition..." Press release. 9 Story Entertainment. September 23, 2008. Accessed 2009-07-17.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Szklarski, Cassandra. "'Survivorman' Les Stroud Puts Teens Through Wilderness Trials." The Canadian Press. April 6, 2009.
  21. ^ a b c d e f March, Catherine Dawson. "Reality Bites." The Globe and Mail. May 15, 2009.
  22. ^ a b c d e f "Survive This." Parry Sound Beacon Star. September 26, 2008.
  23. ^ a b c Bachard, Stephane. "The OPP and GBVSAR Join the Cast of Survive This!." SARScene. 17:3 (December 2008).
  24. ^ "9 Story Entertainment Debuts Two New Series at MIPTV." Press release. 9 Story Entertainment. March 16, 2009. Accessed 2009-07-17.
  25. ^ "9 Story Entertainment's Survive This Finds U.S. Home at Cartoon Network." Press release. 9 Story Entertainment. March 30, 2009. Accessed 2009-07-17.
  26. ^ "9 Story's Teen Outdoor Survival Series Survive This Secures New Broadcast Deals in Latin America, Europe and Middle East." Press release. 9 Story Entertainment. April 21, 2009. Accessed 2009-07-17; "Survive This Secures Three Air Deals." License! Global Magazine. April 22, 2009. Accessed 2009-07-17.
  27. ^ "Casting Call." SurviveThis.com. No date. Accessed 2009-07-16.
  28. ^ a b c Quesnel, Shannon. "Teamwork Skills Are A Matter of Life, Death." Elliott Lake Standard. April 15, 2009.
  29. ^ a b McDonough, Kevin. "Cartoon Network Stumbles Into Reality Zone." New Bedford Standard-Times. June 17, 2009.
  30. ^ Flint, Joe. "Cartoon Network Gambles on Live Action." Los Angeles Times. August 17, 2009.
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